Examen de Inglés Selectividad 2010: Soluciones y Traducción de Opciones A y B

Examen de Inglés - Junio 2010

OPCIÓN A: The Truth About Bears

QUESTIONS

1. Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE? Copy the evidence from the text. No marks are given for only TRUE or FALSE.

• a) The biologist collected factual information about bears, like the area where they lived and travelled around.
  TRUE: The wildlife biologist, John Rogers, had spent thousands of hours studying North America's black bears. He shot them with tranquilisers before fitting them with radio collars. He took their blood and studied their DNA. And they tracked their movements and marked them on maps.
• b) Making close contact with your object of study is normal in scientific research.
  FALSE: He abandoned scientific detachment and took the controversial step of forming relationships with his study animals.

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

Autor: Patricia Herrero Pinilla

2. In your own words and based on the ideas in the text, answer the following questions. Do not copy from the text.

• a) What has the biologist discovered about the bear's diet?
  He has discovered that almost everything that he thought about bears is false, such as: they don't like honey and they prefer larvae found in trees than berries or nuts. And the most important thing: they are not dangerous.
• b) Why does he think humans are dangerous?
  He thinks that humans are dangerous because statistics show that while it is very difficult for a bear to kill someone, there is one person out of 18,000 who kills another human.

3. Find the words in the text that mean:

• a) animals (paragraph 1): creatures
• b) confidence (paragraph 2): trust
• c) distance (paragraph 2): detachment
• d) move (in the air) (paragraph 3): wave

(Puntuación máxima: 1 punto)

4. Complete the following sentences. Use the appropriate form of the word in brackets when given.

• a) Everybody believes (believe) that bears love eating (eat) honey.
• b) If we want to know the real facts about animals, we should study them in action.

Rewrite the sentences starting with the words given:

• c) It's not necessary to dissect an animal to know a lot about it.
  You don't need to dissect an animal to know a lot about it.
• d) When Rogers went near the bear, he called to it "Don't worry, bear!"
  Rogers told the bear not to worry.

5. Write about 100 to 150 words on one of the following topics.

• a) Pets in city flats? Argue for or against.

First, I have to say I love animals. In my house, they have never let me have a pet, until recently. I have a rabbit called Princess. I take it out for a walk, and it is almost always running around. So, I think that if you have an animal, you should not have it locked up; they need to walk. It is very hard for them not to live in nature.

On the other hand, it is good that children have a pet. It makes them more responsible, and love for animals teaches them to care for others. I think it's good to have contact with nature from a young age. But sometimes kids think their pet is a toy, and when they bite, they leave them. That cannot be done. If you have a pet, it is for life. I love my pet, and it is never left alone.

OPCIÓN B: India's Economic Revival

QUESTIONS

1. Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE? Copy the evidence from the text. No marks are given for only TRUE or FALSE.

• a) In the past, people in the Western world dreamed about the treasures in South Asia.
  TRUE: Historically, South Asia was always famous as the richest region of the globe. Ever since the great Greek conqueror Alexander penetrated the Hindu Kush in 329 B.C., Europeans fantasized about the wealth of these lands where precious jewels were said to lie scattered on the ground like dust.
• b) While India was ruled by the British it became a typical example of underdevelopment.
  TRUE: By 1870, at the peak of the British dominion, India had been reduced for the first time to a Third World nation, a symbol across the globe of famine, poverty, and deprivation.

2. In your own words and based on the ideas in the text, answer the following questions. Do not copy from the text.

• a) Why are the Chinese emperors of the Ming dynasty mentioned in the text?
  Because their dynasty was the only one that rivaled the Mughal Emperors to show the power of the Eastern Empire.
• b) What kind of influence did the Portuguese, Dutch, and British have on India?
  They replaced the old system of Indian trading by setting up a new Western and imperial one.

3. Find the words in the text that mean:

• a) riches (paragraph 1): jewels
• b) powder (paragraph 1): wealth (Nota: ajuste contextual según el ejercicio original)
• c) highest point (paragraph 3): peak
• d) hunger (paragraph 3): famine

(Puntuación máxima: 1 punto)

4. Complete the following sentences. Use the appropriate form of the word in brackets when given.

• a) India is a country in South Asia which comprises most of the Indian subcontinent. The Ganges is the longest (long) river in India.
• b) The term "colony" comes from the Latin colonia, which originally meant (mean) a place for agricultural activities.
• c) "How long does it take to fly from London to India?"
  "It takes (take) around nine hours."
• d) The Ming dynasty began in 1368, and lasted until 1644 AD. Its founder was a peasant who became Emperor after defeating (defeat) the Mongols and the Yuan Dynasty.

5. Write about an exotic country:

• a) What distant or exotic country would you like to visit? Give reasons for your choice.

I would like to visit the Caribbean, because a friend was there last year and told me that the beaches were perfect. The most exotic place I've been to has been the Canary Islands, and although it is not very exotic, it's nice. I would like to go traveling around the world, because I love to travel.

In the Caribbean, in addition, I can go partying all the time. The rest of the day we would spend in the sun and talking on the phone, and also go to the pools and stay in a five-star hotel. I hope there is a jacuzzi in the room! I also want to go to the Caribbean for its food and smoothies; they say they are very good. Besides the Caribbean, I would go to Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and return to Paris, because I loved it. They may not all be exotic places, but to me, they have something special.